Modern cargo shipping techniques and the resultant enhancements in cargo handling efficiency have required the development of especially designed containers for transporting bulk cargo. As a result, modular shipping containers have been developed to permit compact storage of goods for transport and to facilitate easy loading and unloading of shipping vehicles. A shipping container must be suited for easy movement about the loading dock and is usually designed to allow stacking of multiple containers for maximum space utilization on the dock or aboard a truck trailer, railroad car, aircraft or cargo vessel.
Most cargo shipping containers define a square or rectangular enclosure within which a desired cargo may be carried. Such containers may be constructed from a base pallet, sidewalls, and a top pallet which may be assembled into a container that defines a fully enclosed space. Empty shipping containers are bulky and hard to store, as they consist of rigid walls defining an empty space. Thus, to minimize the storage space necessary for empty containers and to facilitate easy handling, shipping containers have been constructed of modular components which may be disassembled and stored separately. The base pallet, sidewalls, and top pallet are often stackable, foldable, yet nestable, or are otherwise designed to allow compact storage.
Modular container construction requires means to interconnect the base pallet, sidewalls, and top pallet to form a strong container suited for transporting heavy cargoes. The interconnecting means should be simple and easy to use, thereby minimizing the labor necessary to assemble or disassemble a container. The interconnecting means also must be lightweight and should be compact to avoid interfering with the compact storage cf each pallet or sidewall. Additionally, the interconnecting means must withstand repeated assembly and disassembly and must fasten the sidewall and pallet components securely enough to maintain the integrity of the shipping container during rough treatment. The shipping containers and related interconnecting means disclosed in the prior art have not satisfied all of these requirements.
With the foregoing in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide a shipping container that may be readily assembled and disassembled from modular components.
Another object of this invention is to provide a clip for removably interconnecting the modular components of a shipping container.
A further object of this invention is to provide a clip for securely interconnecting the modular components of a shipping container that is simple and easy to use.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a clip for assembling a modular shipping container which will withstand repeated assembly and disassembly.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a clip for interconnecting modular components of a shipping container which facilitates easy storage of the modular container components.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a compact clip for interconnecting the modular components of a shipping container.
Other objects will become apparent from the following description.